Wearing the pants

The first several weeks after I came south, everyone questioned my abilities to use chopsticks. I would be halfway through a meal when someone would turn to me and say, "but, do you know how to use chopsticks?" Clearly, the answer was yes. Lately, I've been getting praise for my chopstick skills. A few weeks ago a teacher said to me, "you use chopsticks like a professional." Who knew there were professional chopstickers? Last night I noticed a teacher staring at me while I served myself food. When I finished he said, "you use chopsticks so fluently!" Tonight Ms. Trang told me that we all have a natural and unique way to hold chopsticks, and that it is said that the higher up you hold the sticks, the more control you have over your spouse. Based on my chopstick hold, apparently, I'd be charge.

This morning we were originally supposed to go to Kim Long's parents' house, but the authorities did not grant us permission to do so, so we went to a restaurant I had been to for my birthday. This restaurant also offered pseudo-fishing in a man-made lake, and didn't charge extra for it. Me, Morena, and two male teachers wobbled our way into a rowboat that was half-full of water (as an optimist should I describe it as half-empty?) before we even got in. Consequently, I decided it was best to leave my camera on dry land. We didn't catch anything, but it was a nice ride. Lunch included porridge with bat meat! That wasn't even on my radar of things I might try here. It didn't have a particularly distinctive flavor, but the dish was tasty.

Away we go...

A bubbling pot of bat

In the afternoon Morena and I gave presentations on our work and experiences thus far. For her it was a conclusion; for me it was a checkpoint. It felt good to give my presentation, because it helped me see how much I have done in these last three months of teaching. It's hard to believe how much time has already passed.

Slightly pictured: the heels I bought in Hanoi

As I've already said, this is the week of special lunch after special dinner after special coffee. Tonight's special dinner was bathed in a river of alcohol, and tonight it was straight vodka. Some people thought it was better to mix in some local honey-based liquor but, in my opinion, believe it or not, it made bottom-shelf vodka even worse. It's no easy feat to keep up with the shot-mandating toasts when you live in a country that doesn't seem to believe in chasers. Luckily, it does believe in five-course meals, and about ten shots later I was proclaimed to be as strong as the alcohol (which I don't actually think was that strong at all).

If you haven't heard a Viespañol techno remix of Feliz Navidad, consider yourself lucky